Arikamedu

Arikamedu is one of the most significant archaeological sites in South India, located about 7 km south of Pondicherry on the banks of the Ariyankuppam River. Excavations carried out in the 1940s and 1950s revealed evidence of extensive trade between ancient Tamil kingdoms and the Roman Empire dating to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Roman amphorae, fine Arretine pottery, glass beads, and coins were found here alongside indigenous ceramics, confirming Arikamedu as a major port in the ancient Indo-Roman trade network. The site is now a protected archaeological area. It is one of the rare places in India where the deep antiquity of the subcontinent's maritime trade connections can be tangibly explored.